What Would Martha Cook?

Too Busy to Be Unprepared

Archives for July 2009

Cynthia’s Peanut Noodle Salad

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2 large cucumbers
1/8 t. ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup Sesame salad dressing from Costco
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16-ounce) whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
4 oz. shredded fresh carrots
6 green onions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Peel cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise, removing and discarding seeds. Cut cucumber halves into half-moon-shaped slices.

Whisk together soy sauce, ginger, coconut milk, sesame dressing, chunky peanut butter, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and sesame oil in a large bowl; add cucumber, pasta, carrot, red bell pepper and onions, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours, if desired. (Optional: Add bean sprouts and chicken, cabbage, snow peas, asparagus, zucchini, hard boiled egg, shrimp, pork or beef.) Garnish with cilantro and crushed peanuts or toasted sesame seeds. Yummy! From my friend and neighbor, Cynthia.

Grocery List
cucumbers
ginger
soy sauce
coconut milk
Asian salad dressing
chunky peanut butter
garlic
sesame oil
crushed red pepper
salt
whole wheat angel hair pasta
red bell pepper
carrots
green onions

Approximate Cost: $5.25

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

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6 cups ripe peaches, peeled and puréed
6 eggs, lightly beaten
2-1/2 c. sugar
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 T. vanilla extract
1/8 t. salt
4 c. whole milk
3 c. heavy cream

In a blender, purée 6 c. of the peaches. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until well blended. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan over low heat, heat the milk and cream, just until it begins to steam. Slowly add the bowl of the egg mixture. Continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth. Remove from heat and add the puréed peaches. Stir well. Refrigerate overnight.

Pour into a large ice cream maker and follow the directions for your machine. If you like fruit chunks, instead of puréeing all the peaches, only do half and add 3 cups of chopped peaches about 15 minutes before the cycle is done.

Grocery List
peaches
eggs
sugar
flour
vanilla extract
salt
whole milk
heavy cream

Approximate Cost: $6.49

Stromboli

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1 pkg. frozen loaf bread dough with three loaves
3 T. flour
1 1/2 lb. ground chuck, cooked completely
1 small pkg. pepperoni
1 pkg. sliced roast beef (in the lunch meat dept.)
1 pkg. sliced turkey
1 pkg. sliced ham
1 pkg. Genoa salami (optional)
9 slices cheddar cheese (we like sharp)
9 slices provolone cheese
9 slices Colby cheese
1 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Let frozen loaves rise according to package. Roll each loaf out flat in a rectangular shape (about 12 by 4 inches on 3 T. flour that is spread out on the surface. In the center of the dough (with an inch and a half-edge exposed all around), layer 8 oz. cooked hamburger, 9 sliced pepperoni, 3 slices Colby, 7-8 slices roast beef, 3 slices cheddar, 7-8 slices turkey, 5 slices salami, 3 slices provolone, 7-8 slices ham.

Fold dough over to cover the whole length of it–pinch it together carefully, trying not to have any holes in the dough covering. Pinch both ends together and fold once or twice.

Flip the roll over onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top.

Repeat the above for the other two rolls (each with a separate cookie sheet). Let dough rise for one hour in warm oven (110 degrees).

Cook for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Slice and serve with marinara sauce. Serves 15-20 people.

Grocery List
frozen loaf bread dough
flour
ground chuck
pepperoni
roast beef
turkey
ham
Genoa salami
cheddar cheese
provolone cheese
Colby cheese
Parmesan cheese

Approximate Cost: $22.35

Seafood Gumbo by Elaine

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2 small bell peppers, one orange and one yellow
1 yellow onion
8-10 green onions
1 stalk of celery
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts
1 lb. shrimp.
¾ lb. Earl Campbell’s link sausage
3 T. canola oil
3 T. flour
3-4 c. hot water
2-3 T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
1 T. soy sauce
½ T. ground red pepper
1 1/2 lbs. okra
1 c. diced and pureed tomatoes
2 c. minute rice, cooked using chicken broth instead of water

Use a heavy duty 6-8 quart pot.
Ahead of time tasks:
A. Chop into small pieces, then microwave with ½ cup of water till tender:
2 bell peppers
1 yellow onion
8-10 green onions
1 stalk of celery
3-4 cloves of garlic
B. Cook 1-1.5 pounds of chicken breast in water until done. Cut into small pieces.
C. Peel 1 pound of Gulf shrimp. Refrigerate shrimp until needed. Boil down shrimp shells in 2 cups of water (about 30 minutes) to make shrimp stock.
D. Cut ¾ pound Earl Campbell’s link sausage (not the hot type) into half slices. Brown slices in skillet and drain off grease.

Make the roux: Add 3T of canola oil to your pot and heat on medium high till hot. Stir in 3T of flour and stir constantly until it is a deep brown (almost but not burned). Reduce heat to medium and quickly add 3-4 cups of hot water. Stir well when steaming stops. Flavor the roux with 2-3T of Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning, 1T soy sauce, and ½-1T ground red pepper. Allow to cook (covered) for 15 minutes.

Add microwaved veggies. Add okra (1-1.5 pounds) and one cup diced and pureed tomatoes. Continue cooking 20-30 minutes.

Add cooked chicken breasts and the shrimp stock. Add sausage and cook on medium for 30 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 20 minutes. Taste and add more Tony’s, red and black pepper if needed.

Serve over hot rice. From my dear friend Cathy C.

Grocery List
bell peppers, one orange and one yellow
yellow onion
green onions
celery
garlic
chicken breasts
shrimp
link sausage
canola oil
flour
Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
soy sauce
red pepper.
okra
tomatoes
minute rice

Approximate Cost: $11.89

Lemonade

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1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. finely grated lemon peel
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 1/2 c. lemon juice (8-10 lemons)
6 c. cold water
ice cubes

About 2 hours up to one week before, prepare syrup: In a one quart jar with tight fitting lid, shake sugar and lemon peel with 1 1/2 c. very hot water, until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon juice. Refrigerate.

To make lemonade: In a 2 1/2 quart pitcher, combine half of the syrup with 6 c. cold water. Pour over ice cubes into each glass. (May substitute lime peels and lime juice in same proportion to make limeade.)

Grocery List
sugar
lemons

Approximate Cost: $4.23